1. What benefits may Starwood Hotels derive from the introduction of touch-screen technology as noted in the case? What possible disruptions may occur as a result. Provide several examples of each.
2. Bill Buxton of Microsoft stated that "[t]ouch now may be where the mouse was in about 1983." What do you make of his comments, and what do you think it would take for touch technology to displace the WIMP interface? Justify your answer.
3. Is advanced touch-screen technology really a solution in search of a problem? Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

The WIMP human-computer interface may have an uninspiring name, but Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointing (WIMP) devices have dominated computing for some 15 years. The keyboard, mouse, and display screen have served users extraordinarily well. Now the hegemony of WIMP may be coming to an end, say developers of technologies based on human touch and gesture. For evidence, look no further than Apple's iPhone. From a human-interface point of view, the combined display and input capabilities of the iPhone's screen, which can be manipulated by multiple fingers in a variety of intuitive touches and gestures, is nothing short of revolutionary.